Evidence
by K.D. Sparrow
Summary: John visits the grave and is surprised to find Irene Adler. And it makes him think, and god forbid, it gives him hope. Post- Reichenbach.


A/N: Just had to do this. Love this show, oh the roller coaster of emotions it causes! Anyways, I adore Irene and I originally intended this to be more about her take on the death but then John popped up and really, it is his story.

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><p>John tells himself, and his therapist, that his visits to Sherlock's grave are a part of the grieving process but he can't quite fool himself. He visits because he has to check to see if the grave is real. For whatever reason he cannot completely grasp the idea of Sherlock's death. Even though John Watson had endured a war and seen far too many dead and dying people he has moments where he doesn't believe that Sherlock Holmes is dead. But then he remembers watching his best friend throw himself off a building and then John Watson heads to the grave because it is tangible evidence of Sherlock's death. And he needs that because sometimes his mind makes ridiculous leaps and even worse he finds himself hoping that what is true is not. It is on one of the terrible hoping days that John makes his way to the grave telling himself that all he needs is evidence that Sherlock is dead. This thought is challenged by a nagging voice that says that all he needs is evidence that Sherlock might not be dead.<p>

John has never seen anyone else visit the grave, not since the funeral. Which is why he is shocked, as he enters the graveyard, to see a figure by Sherlock's grave. And not just any figure, no, a very memorable figure indeed. He stares at The Woman as she stands in front of the tombstone. He is surprised that she doesn't bolt as he approaches. He gives her an angry look as Irene Adler turns to greet him. His anger quickly fades when he sees the unabashed expression of grief on her face.

She wipes an unshed tear away with a black-gloved hand, "It's not real is it?"

John furrows his eyebrows because that was not the question he expected from her of all people, "Of course he wasn't a fraud."

Irene closes her eyes for a moment, "That's not what I meant."

He sighs and looks away before returning his glare at her, "I'm sorry, I was under the impression that you were dead."

A trace of her trademark playfulness highlights her expression, "Oh no." her eyes dance dully, "I got myself in a witness protection scheme in America."

John exhales and shakes his head, "Right."

A moment of silence passes between them as John approaches the grave and they both turn to look at the familiar name carved into the black stone.

He doesn't take his eyes off the name when he addresses her, "Did he know you were alive?"

She remains still as she responds without teasing, "Of course. He was the only one."

Another silence stretches out.

He turns to her, "What did you mean then, is what 'not real?"

Her eyes glimmer with tears as she gestures to the tombstone, "This."

John finds it hard to breathe for a moment; he clears his throat, "Oh." He takes another moment, his eyes closed, when he opens them he has maintained his composure, "This is real."

Irene's face is without tears and her makeup is perfectly intact but her expression is pained, "He didn't even text."

He chooses not to comment just shakes his head, pushing away the momentary anger.

She turns from the grave, takes a deep breath and just stands there until finally she says in parting, "It doesn't feel real."

And then she is gone.

John stands unmoving for a long time.

All he needs is evidence that Sherlock might not be dead.

He stares at the spot where she stood moments before; The Woman who the world believed to be dead. Whose death could only have been covered up by one man:

'_I was thorough, this time. It would take Sherlock Holmes to fool me.'_

Mycroft's words flip around in John's head and are soon joined by Irene's idle comment:

'_He didn't even text.'_

Soon her words topple over his thoughts and transform into the memory of the voice that he longs to hear more than any others:

'_Once a few months ago… 'Goodbye Mr. Holmes'.'_

He tries to push away the new thoughts that are beginning to fill his head because he knows that if he doesn't they'll drive him insane.

But why wouldn't Sherlock text Irene?

It is a small miserable excuse for evidence but this morning he lived in a world where Irene Adler had been beheaded and now she perfectly fine, thanks to a certain consulting detective. So why would he save her, and in doing so fool Mycroft and the world; there resulting in Sherlock being the only person who would know the truth, and then not bother to text her when he was dying as she had so clearly texted him when she believed herself to be dying. John knows all too well that Sherlock had his phone when he died.

And that memory is enough to quiet his mind.

He sighs and checks in on the tombstone, still there, still real. But The Woman is right, '_It doesn't feel real.'_ John stares at the grave, and searches his mind for any reason that would indicate that the rock in front of him did not in fact represent the existence of the man who had changed John's life. He sighs again and rubs his eye tiredly; these thoughts will drive him insane.

He begins to walk away but stops and checks in on the tombstone and then shakes his head and continues walking. He manages to make it a few more feet before he stops and groans.

He glares at the tombstone that now symbolizes a mystery rather than evidence.

John rolls his eyes and shakes his head again as he wonders how he is supposed to solve the mystery of Sherlock Holmes without Sherlock Holmes.


End file.
